My father's tractor won't start! Tips?

[JohnZ]

Hi there! Today me and me father devoted our day flushing and replacing the motor oil in our old Ferrari/Lombardini tractor. We also charged and installed the battery and cleaned the oil filter. The tractor is something like this:

26246

Unfortunately re-charging the battery didn't solve a problem that the tractor had prior to our intervention. :( When you try to start it, it cranks and it stops, than it cranks again but it stops. After some tries the tractor fires up, so there is nothing wrong (I think) with fuel or within the engine itself. :what_the:

My personal theory is that it has to do with the starter, sounds like some kind of lack of power as when you turn the key (and keep it turned) it cranks a bit, then stops, then again... like the electricity is coming on and off. Maybe some wire that is not well plugged. :thinkin:

...I thought about sharing this thing with you, since you've got more experience with old engines it's likely you have some tips for me!

:) :)

PS: while doing such works, I blindfolded the Delorean's headlights with some towels... I didn't want her to see that I was playing with another vehicle! She's just a jealous car! :giggle:

[Flicky]

Lol, I was just reading the "post your motorcycle" thread and was thinking, 'what's next a post your tractor.'

If you can take the starter out might be good to bench test it with direct power. Or try to hook up a jumper cable to the starter...if you can get anything in there...for a testing without the rest of the electronics.

Check and clean the battery cable connections.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Sounds like a bad battery. If the battery is old, I would replace it first and see if that solves the problem.

[DMCVegas]

I'll second the battery as it was my first thought while reading the description. If you connect another battery or jump-start the engine with another vehicle, does the issue persist?

[JohnZ]

Thanks guys! Here's another bit of the story that my father told me. The first time this issue happened he was left in the middle of the road, and he had to jump start the engine with another car and everything went well! It started with no troubles.

I did not know that, and this seems to confirm my speculations about it being an electric issue, and I'm glad you are confirming this vision! We are going to replace the old battery with a new one, let's see what happen but we're probably near!

:D

[David T]

Thanks guys! Here's another bit of the story that my father told me. The first time this issue happened he was left in the middle of the road, and he had to jump start the engine with another car and everything went well! It started with no troubles.

I did not know that, and this seems to confirm my speculations about it being an electric issue, and I'm glad you are confirming this vision! We are going to replace the old battery with a new one, let's see what happen but we're probably near!

:D

You could try squirting a little Ether into the air cleaner as you crank it. It that helps then you know it is a fuel problem. The battery must be good enough to get the cranking speed up. If it is not good you can try jumping it and/or replacing it.

[Bitsyncmaster]

You could try squirting a little Ether into the air cleaner as you crank it. It that helps then you know it is a fuel problem. The battery must be good enough to get the cranking speed up. If it is not good you can try jumping it and/or replacing it.

What is sounds like is the low power battery can crank when the engine is on intake stroke but not on compression. You may get it started with ether but that still does not show the real problem.

[JohnZ]

Problem solved: replaced battery! It goes like a champ!

:bigclap:

[Roman Legion]

No, the real problem is, it may not be a Lamborghini tractor, easy fix there. j/k Glad you got it working.